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ESTABLISHED 1878. VOL. XX. No. 15. H é CLEVELAND---A EMPLOYMENT OF A PILOT. As indicating that the old rules are still observed rela- tive to pilots we find.in Fairplay of March 4th; a com- munication from which the following is taken: A pilot employed by compulsion of law should be al- lowed by the master to direct the navigation of the ship so long as she is within the pilot’s. district, for if the pilot should make a mistake, the ship’s owners are not respons- ible to third persons for the consequences of it, although it may have arisen through the pilot’s negligence or in- competence: If, however, the master should interfere with the pilot, and so cause an accident, the ship’s owners would certainly be answerable for it. But the mere fact that a pilot is in charge by compulsion of law does “not exonerate the master and crew from the proper observance of their own duty. Although the directions of the pilot may be imperative upon them as to the course the vessel is to pursue, the management of the ship itself is still un- _ der the control of the master. It is his duty to secure the safe conduct of his vessel by issuing the necessary orders, and it is the duty of the crew to carry these orders into execution; and for the due performance of their respect- ‘ive duties the master and crew are still respectively re- ‘sponsible.” (The Diana, 1 W. Rob. 131). Among other things, “it is the duty of the master to observe the con- duct of the pilot, and in case of palpable incompetency, whether arising from intoxication or ignorance, or any other cause, to interpose his authority for the preserva- tion of the property of his employers. In such case the vessel and lives of the crew are not to be risked because _ there is a law which under ordinary cirucumstances, im- poses the responsibility upon the pilot” (the Duke of Man- chester, 2 W. Rob. 470). oor i SALE OF.A REVENUE CUTTER. Some of the most lucrative deals that private firms have entered into have been in connection with government or rather national sales. The old revenue cutter, Andy Johnson, just now being replaced by the Walter Q. Gresh- am, recently completed by the Globe Iron Works Co., will, it is understood, be offered for sale at Cleveland in the near future, and while much has been said in derogation of the Johnson, there is no doubt but that. the vessel is still a valuable one in her class for commercial purposes. Without entering into the original construction, up- keep and present condition of the Johnson, we may point out a sale made a month or two ago on the Pacific’ Coast of similar tonnage, viz., the revenue cutter Oliver Wolcott. In February last the Wolcott was sold for $3,050, it is now asserted that she is worth $40,000 of any man’s money. It was, however, somewhat of a blind deal the purchasers went into. For many years it had been common report that the old Wolcott was unseaworthy, and totally unfit for any sort of service, in fact, that she was likely to fall to pieces at any moment. These reports were so univer- ‘sally accepted that it was in fear and trembling that the families of her officers bade their loved ones good-bye when the Wolcott started to plow the raging waters on her way to Whatcom or Port Angeles. The voyages to San Diego and to Sitka were. periods of most intense anxiety for all concerned. Fee There was little surprise and very general approval when the government ordered the supposed “old tub” to be sold at auction, and everybody agreed that $5,000 would be the limit for the bidding. The bid of Messrs. Willey, Green and Falk was just $1,950 short of the limit, and no one felt particularly envious of their bargain. After the sale the Wolcott was put in dry dock and those in position to know assert that no sounder vessel ever .so safely to his point of debarkation. floated in the waters of the Pacific. Not a break was found in her copper sheathing, and the removal of a single plank from her bottom satisfied everybody with her condition. Capt. W. J. Bryant, local inspector of hulls, says her timbers and planking are in excellent condition. in the first place, a thoroughly well constructed vessel, her timbers being exceptionally heavy and all the fastenings of composition spikes and copper. During all her years of service the revenue officers have kept the bilge space between the lining and the outside skin packed with rock salt, and on opening her up it was discovered that the salt had crystallized over the wood and preserved it in perfect soundness. Her engines and boilers are now receiving attention. These were put in only about five years ago, and the engines are said to be in very fair shape; the boilers, however, will require considerable repairing. The government inspection will be completed this month and the Wolcott is likely to be placed in the pas- senger and cargo trade in the North Pacific. Our correspondents, wholesale lumber merchants in Seattle, Wash., point out as one reason for the Wolcott’s being in such excellent condition that she was built of Washington pine lumber, or as we think it is sometimes called, Douglas pine; however this may be, most of our readers have read of the recent experience of Prof. Nan- sen during his Arctic crujsing in search of the North Pole and his description. of the staunch craft that carried him He therein states that his little craft was the strongest vessel he ever saw and she was constructed entirely of Washington fir, se- lected on account of its strength and general fitness. In furtherance of this view the writer on one occasion had the unpleasant duty of cutting away three lower masts of a full-rigged ship, and after about fourteen years’ use the sticks of Washington fir were found to be as sound and wholesome as the day they were stepped. Aside, however, from the adaptability of Douglas pine for spars, shipbuilding work, etc., the fact remains that tonnage such as the Johnson, Wolcott and many others of recent date, sold under departmental instructions, have generally been found safe investments for private firms, chiefly, as we suppose, on account of their excellent con- struction and strictly liberal up-keep throughout their national service. or THIRTY KNOT TORPEDO BOAT. The proposals have just been invited by the secretary | of the navy for the construction of three 30-knot torpedo boats. The bids will be opened June 14th. The boats must be completed within eighteen months from date of contract. The successful bidders must show themeselves in possession of the necessary plant within three months after signing the contract: ‘The boats will be known as Nos. 19, 20 and 21. Two of them must have a trial dis- placement of not less than 230 tons and one of 260 tons. The bidders are left ample scope for original ideas as. the department prescribes in its circular only the barest out- lines of the craft, for the construction of which congress has appropriated $800,000. ee AIDS TO NAVIGATION. The United States engineers’ office force at Detroit is busy with plans and specifications for the spring work. Two dredges were put at work at the upper end of the cut in Lake St. Clair last week, and will probably be there until the end of April. No other outside work has as yet been started. The lighthouse board engineer, Major Adams, corps of engineers, U. S. A., has completed plans and specifica- She is, © -size-and. position, can secure. tions for two keepers’ dwellings on Portage lake and river; a keeper’s dwelling at Devil’s Island in Lake Superior; fog signals at Menominee, on Green Bay, and Big Sable, about fifty miles west of Whitefish point on Lake Superior; and sixteen range lights in Portage lake and river; thir- teen of which will be in the lower river, one in the lake and two, above. Contracts for all the material: have been let and some of the material is on the ground. Construc- tion will begin as soon as navigation opens. The lighthouse tender Haze is fitted out for supplying the gas buoys in the lower lakes, and the Marigold is now fitting for the same service in the upper lakes. Nn el THE NEW CANADIAN AND AMERICAN TARIFF. The Canadian Manufacturer and Industrial World, To- ronto, intend publishing a special edition containing the 1897 Canadian, British and United States tariff at the earli- est posible date. The above publication issued this valua- ble information in compact form in 1894 and the forthcom- ing edition is to be fully. up to the standard of its previous work. The importance to the entire manufacturing, in- dustrial and commercial communities of the three coun- tries named in having these important papers accurately reproduced, all within the covers of a journal,-is obvious; and without doubt, will be preserved’ for reference in all offices into which it may find its way. oo EASTERN FREIGHT REPORT. The list of steamers closed this week for grain cargoes shows a decided decline, both numerically and in rates, and the supply of boats offering is in excess of the de- mand, although certain sizes required for settlement: of old trades in May remain in fair request, and command figures beyond what other boats, not so suitable as to The late very severe de- cline in prices of all our cereals has so far not resulted in much new business, which may, however, follow when val- ues have again settled down to a steady level. _The mo- mentary demand for prompt tonnage to land sugars here before the contemplated advance in duty has resulted in a number of charters on time for prompt boats, but mainly for one up trip only from the West Indies. . The enquiry for berth tonnage for China and Japan continues good, but owners’ demands are prohibitive at the moment. Boats continue going on for timber from the Gulf ports, and the demand, although not pressing, is steady and rates well maintained. Tonnage from the St. Lawrence and the deal ports cannot be placed, however, except at a slight con- cession from former rates. The market for sail tonnage shows no new features of particular interest. The supply is light; at the same time, we find but little inquiry, and rates for the present are easier. This fact mainly applies to case-oil freights to the East, in which direction several fixtures have been made at lower rates. In other lines we have nothing new. There are a few orders in the market for lumber from the Gulf to South America for prompt shipment at $12 net for River Plate and $13 net for Rio, but, owing to the absence of suitable tonnage, nothing has been done in this trade. Naval stores are quiet, and we cannot quote over 2s. 7¥%d for resin and 3s. 10 1-2d. for spirits for medium-sized ves- sels from the South to Cork f. 0. b: a OS THE MILWAUKEE DRY-DOCK CO. The south dock of the Milwaukee Dry Dock Company is now 450 feet in length instead of 355 feet as formerly. W.E. Fitzgerald is now president and A. M. Joys secre- tary and treasurer. On the board of directors W. E. Fitz- gerald is substituted for John Fitzgerald, late president of the company.